


Do You Still Believe in One Another

by momopeachchild



Series: Dragon Age Writings [16]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-26
Packaged: 2019-12-18 05:04:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18242933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/momopeachchild/pseuds/momopeachchild
Summary: Anders reflects on his time in Kinloch Hold, especially the times involving the woman who would grow up to be the Warden Commander of Fereldan.





	Do You Still Believe in One Another

**Author's Note:**

  * For [against_stars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/against_stars/gifts).



> Cosette Amell and this particular Marian Hawke belong to Against_Star's. I'm just playing with them a little.

The first time they met, he was a young man entering adulthood and she was a mere child, still fresh in the Circle and so, so spoiled. He wasn’t the one assigned to be her mentor, he wasn’t certain that he’d ever be assigned as anyone’s mentor. Couldn’t have him planting seeds of escape into their little minds, could they? But word traveled fast in Kinloch, and soon a warm weight hit his back, and small arms wrapped around his neck. Black hair flashed in his periphery, and a small voice demanded he tell her everything of his escape!

And that was his introduction to Cosette Amell. His relationship with her just sort of bloomed from there. She was the kid sister he never had, and while he wondered if this was some sick joke by the Maker, her screaming for him and just coming into the Harrowed Mage’s level to look for him, just to have a Maker Damned Nevarrian braid done, it was still something he cherished. Cosette and Karl were the only two bright spots in the Circle for him. But they weren’t enough, they couldn’t be enough to kill the need for freedom in him. 

Karl understood, he always understood. He was always there when they decided to let Anders out of that tiny cell in the very bottom of the tower. Even when they left him there for a blighted week. And Cosette, Cosette was just as eager as ever to hear where he’d gone, what he’d seen, and of course, to do the Nevarrian braid for her. He stayed a year that time, knowing they were watching him, and out of fear of what they’d do to the two people who meant the most to him.

And then they sent Karl away. Cosette didn’t say anything when they finally released him. He’d been down there for a year, and she had no questions for him. She just hugged him, and he knew then and there there was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do for her, and he didn’t doubt there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do for him. She was almost grown by then, and he knew she could take care of herself. He wouldn’t be surprised if they moved her Harrowing up, like they had for him. Though probably for different reasons.

He made one final escape was just before his thirtieth birthday. Word of the Blight was coming, and he figured there was no time like the present to try again. There was no way they’d let him volunteer to go with, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use it as cover. And so he ran, with no word left to Cosette. He never did, for fear of punishment brought down onto her as well. 

And it worked, for a year he was free. Admittedly it wasn’t the best year to be free, but he kept his head down and did his best to stay out of everyone’s notice. But it couldn’t last, because of course it couldn’t. Word still traveled around that a Circle Mage had saved Thedas, and despite knowing what was waiting for him when they dragged him back to Kinloch, or what was left of it if rumours were true, that he’d lucky to just have a year in solitary. 

Amaranthine was just as pretty as he had heard, even if it was just as impacted by the Blight and everyone’s actions during it as the rest of the country. Of course he’d never expected to see a familiar face when the door slammed open behind him while Darkspawn were attacking him! The one Guard who seemed to be her companion started to speak, explaining who he was, but there was no need. It was just like all those years ago. A warm weight hit him, but in the chest this time, arms around his neck and black hair in his periphery. He didn’t need to say anything, to explain anything. He closed his eyes and held her tightly, ignoring that his eyes were prickling and his throat was a little tight. 

He pulled her away a little bit, and reached up to ruffle her hair, just like when she was a child. “So, you’re something of a Hero now, huh? Slaying Archdemons, stopping Blights? You’ll have to tell me everything!” 

But not then. There wasn’t time to talk then, though he couldn’t keep the smile off of his face every time she turned and looked to him, to make sure he was still there, and that he was okay. And then his healing magic didn’t work. His heart caught in his throat as he saw the blood, everything going cold. He couldn’t heal her! Why couldn’t he heal her? There was too much blood! And then it hit him. She was a blood mage. He was an Apostate, a Malificar they called him, and she was a Blood Mage. What a pair they made.

And then it was all said and done. There were more templars and….Andraste’s Knicker Weasels the king of Fereldan! Oh, he was suppose to bow wasn’t he? Too late. He almost reached out to grab Cosette’s arm, to reign her in. He could tell she wanted blood for what the Templar had said, and he wasn’t the least bit surprised when she invoked the Right of Conscription. He was even less surprised to know that she was the one who made him King, essentially, and that the king of bloody Fereldan was backing her. Even the thought of being trapped as a Warden, essentially trading one prison for another didn’t make him hesitate, because Cosette was there. And she would never keep him bound like that. 

But she left. 

It was only fair, he’d left her so many times, and it was for the good of all the Wardens. They needed a cure, he supposed, because what he heard of the Calling was not something he was excited to go face. Even with Nate in charge, and their friendship that had somehow managed to fall into place, it didn’t help. He wasn’t sure what was worse, losing Ser Pounce, or that they were going to give him to the Blighted Templars! So, Anders did what he did best.

He ran.

It wasn’t hard, there were still refugees flooding the city of Kirkwall. Nate had helped him before he left. Given him information on where Karl was, and had given him enough gold to grease whatever palms needed to be greased to get him in. But he couldn’t stick out too much, especially not here. And then things went down hill. It was ten years of things getting progressively getting worse and worse. Sure there were good points. Marian being the big one, and realizing they’d met life times ago. That she didn’t question him about anything he asked of her, and that she had literally scarred a Templar for opening his big mouth about mages was amazing. 

She was another person he cared for, loved so deeply, that it hurt. It hurt him knowing what was going to happen, and what she was going to get caught in the middle of. He just prayed that if she couldn’t forgive him, that if she didn’t stand by him, that she’d kill him. If this was the one thing she could not, or would not forgive, she was not the kind of woman to just let him go. 

And then he ran, again. This time with the love of his life, one of two women who knew him, and never needed him to say a word. It wasn’t something he ever expected to find even once in his life, and now he had two people in his life like that, even if one was missing.

By then they were so far from home, any home they could call, and they lost it all. Except each other. It was another cold night in an empty, barely there cave with no fire, and only hard bread and dried meat for supper. Marian’s hand on his ankle brought him out of his half sleep, her sword already out and at the ready. He was up in seconds, hands already calling up whatever power he could summon in his exhausted state. 

And he must be more exhausted than he thought. Marian only had one Mabari. Where did this second one come from? It wasn’t attacking them, in fact once their cursory sniff of the other was done, he had a mabari rubbing its face against his leg and a little stub of a tail wagging excitedly to see him. Wait.

The figures that came from the woods around them were familiar. One was just slightly shorter than Marian, and had longer hair, but that was really where the differences ended. The other was the one Anders knew to be her partner. He lowered his hands, and gently placed a hand on Marian’s arm. 

This hug was less of a body slam, but no less tight than any of the others had been. He could feel his shoulder shaking as she whispered to him. “I understand what you had to do. Tell me everything.”

And he did. 

They parted ways, they had to, but it didn’t matter. They’d always find each other, even if the sky came falling down. There wasn’t anything they wouldn’t do for each other. Cosette was his sister, and he was her brother. Forever.


End file.
